napoleon Flashcards
1
Q
how did britain and the continental system lead to the decline and fall of napoleon?
A
- napoleon imposed the continental system against Britain which blocked trade Britain from France and the rest of the satellite states with the Berlin decrees 1806 and then extended in the Milan decrees 1807 but allowed britain to import goods only with cash
- however, the blockade was unsuccessful, Britain turned to its ally Portugal and British exports passed through portugal to spain and to the rest of Europe, British exports more than doubled
- then to enforce the blockade, napoleon waged the peninsula war
- effect on napoleons downfall of the continental system
- failed to bring about British defeat
- enforced it by invading Portugal, drained resources
- ## caused the Spanish ulcer and the Russian campaign, which was also caused by the Tsar’s unwillingness to take part in the continental system
2
Q
how did the peninsula war lead to the decline and fall of napoleon?
A
- in order to enforce the continental system napoleon deposed the Spanish king and put his brother joseph on the throne
- when joseph arrived in Madrid he was met with revolts which were brutally suppressed
- the Spanish responded with guerilla warfare and a small french army was defeated by Spanish troops
- in response napoleon himself took the grandee armee to spain but left because of the Austrians
- the British army, under wellesley aided Portugal and french efforts to drive them out failed
- wellsey aided in the liberation of spain 1813 took 6 years
- the war was a drain on french resources, tied down thousands of soldiers and garrisons
- the war impacted french military prestige and morale
However it wasn’t really a decisive end to napoleon but significantly costly to him
3
Q
how did the russian campaign lead to the decline and fall of napoleon?
A
- reasons for the Russian campain
- the tsar withdrew from the continental system at the end of 1810
- rival ambitions in Turkish territory and the baltic
- napoleon assembled an army of 600,000 men, fewer than half were french 270,000 , reducing the value of la gloire that made the grandee armee so successful. Napoleon had also never commanded an army that big and over such a vast area led him to bring indecisive and lethargic at times
- june 1812, napoleon invaded, despite napoleons occupation of Moscow, the tsar refused to negotiate a peace treaty and napoleon was forced to retreat BUT NAPOLEON DID THIS AFTER A MONTH
- why did the russian campaign fail:
- the russians refused to fight a formal battle that would result in a decisive victory
- the russians used a scorched earth tactic
- russian skirmishers constantly attacked, destroying morale
- russian army was larger
Consequences:
- when the grande armee reached germany it had reached 20,000 men. The retreat was terrible: famine, exhaustion and skirmishes
- made the government very weak. Malet affair in which conspiratory former general claimed that the emperor was dead and therefore provisional governments needed reform
4
Q
why did napoleon want to expand his empire?
A
- protect territory of revolutionary france from an attack by the monarches of europe
- export the civil code, condordqt and other benefits if napoleonic rule to the oppressed people from other states
- ensure the end of old regimes in europe
5
Q
how did napoleon expand french territory and lead to the renewal of the napoleonic war?
A
- june 1800 napoleon defeated the austrians at marengo
- french victory at hohenlindrn in bavaria six months later brought the peace of luneville - recognised french possession of austrian netherlands, left bank of the rhine and gains in italy
- after the second coalition collapsed, britain agreed to the peace of amiens: france withdrew from the papal states and naples, whilst britain returned most of its conquests including egypt
- peace of amiens was unstable and the war eventually resumed again on 18 may 1803 because of: napoleon’s continued involvement in switzerland, britain’s failure to return cape colony to holland, britain’s reluctance to withdraw from the strategically important island of malta
6
Q
what happened in the war of the third coalition?
A
- britain allied with austria, russia and a number of smaller powers. france dominant on the land, britain dominant of the sea, so napoleon wanted to invade
- napoleon gathered his army of england and marched south to the danube to confront austria who declared war on france during the summer
- planned to invade by transporting an army across the english channel via a combined franco- spanish fleet
- plan failed because the royal navy under the royal navy to win the battle if trafalgar on 21st oct 1805
7
Q
what were napoleons successes in the third coalition?
A
- austrians defeated at the battle of Ulm in october 1805
- decisive battle: austerlitz. austro-russian army was beaten. caused russia to retreat and austria had to agree to treaty of pressburg which promised: austria recognised french supremacy, austria gave uo various german terroities to napoleons allies and lost control over central europe. austria also forced to pay france a large war indemnity
8
Q
what were the causes of the war of the fourth coalition?
A
- concern of french domination of the german of the german speaking territories
- complicated negotiations between napoleon and prussia: prussia’s aquisition of hanover in return for adherance of the continental system
- coaltion of prussia, britain and russia
9
Q
what happened in the war of the fourth coalition?
A
- napoleon destroyed prussia and the battles of jena and austerstadt in o october 1806
- battle of eylau: feb 1807 napoleon marched thru poland to attack russia an won an inconclusive victory
- ## friedland: russia defeated and convinced the russians that they needed to make peace. resulted in meeting between napoleon and tsar alexander 1 at tilsit
10
Q
what were napoleons achievements in the war of the fourth coalition?
A
- french domination in germany by defeating austria and abolishing holy roman empire in 1806
- creation of the confederation of rhine as a french satellite
- destruction of prussian power in poland, comverted into grand duchy of warsaw
- prussias lands in the west was created into a new satellite kingdom of westphalia
- napoleon crowned himself king of italy and added tuscany and parma to his possessions
- naples become a french satellite
- russia being forced to concede peace in 1807 and tsar alexander forced to make an alliance with frnace
- BY THE END OF 1807 NAPOLEON CONTROLLED DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY THE GREATER PART OF EUROPE
11
Q
what were napoleons military and strategic developments?
A
- napoleons leadership qualities: knew how to exploit his victories. french domination relied on diplomatic success and keeping the coalition powers divided
- napoleon fromed a special bond between him and his army through daily bulletins. ideas of military glory, patriotism, comradeship and expressed deep paternal concern
- napoleons forces believed that they were spreading revolutionary ideals
- grande armee: army was divided into corps of 25-30k guards, some of the cavalry kept seperate as were reserve artillery and elite groups. napoleon controlled them directly
- new tactics emphasised troop mobility (infantrymen required to march 25-30km a day) and living off the land
- use of war a une bonne affaire: peace treaties on defeated countries maintained napoleons troops but the massive indemnities (for example prussia had to pay 311 million francs after being defeated at jena in 1806) the army became self financing
- weakness of frances enemies: britain, austria, russia and prussia,s alliances undermined by mutual suspicion and jealousy. tempted by napoleons offers of territory
12
Q
how did napoleon create financial stability?
A
- centralised control finally established land registrars drawn up and tax registrars showing who should pay what
- Bank of France: est 1800, had the sole right to issue paper notes and made raising finance easy, which was not possible under the ancien regime
- franc de germinal, strict control made it stable and a strong base for the economy, soon france had the soundest currency in all of Europe
13
Q
how did napoleon use patronage and bribery to create a napoleonic empire?
A
- napoleon sought to attract bind and attract people to his regime through gifts of money, land, titles, honours and government appointments
- created legion of honour: reciepiants recieved a distinctive decoration abd small annual reward: only 4000/38000 given to civilians
- 1804-1808 created: grand dignitaries such as arch chanchellor and prefects of the palace
- some titles granted them large estates, 18 outstanding generals become marshals of france
- 1808 napoleon created a new imperial nobility. grand dignitaries became princes, archbishops became counts etc. if the reciepient had a large enough income (200k francs for dukes) the titles became hereditary
- civilians benefited from senatoreries: grants of large country estates to members of the senate with residence and annual income of 25k francs
- HOWEVER NAPOLEON REALISED THAT BRIBERY WASNT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN POPULAR SUPPORT AND THEREFORE RELIED ON INDOCTRINATION AND INTIMIDATION
14
Q
how did police and prefects contribute to the creation of a napoleonic empire?
A
- judges were appointed by the government for life and kept subservient and loyal through close supervision and purges
- new hierarchy of judicial tribunals set up
- 1810 a system if arbitary imprisonment without trial reintroduced - was rare and a form of house arrest was more common
- police and prefects acted as trained spies, imposed censorship, set ip surveillance of possible subversives organised raids on draft dodgers or enemy agents
- maintaince of law and order by a wel organised body of gendarmes (armed police force)
- had a prefect assisted by sub- prefects for each department. local officers such as mayors and muncipal councils appointed by prefects. offical role of prefects: tax collection, conscription) prefects expected to spread propaganda, monitor public opinion and report on any suspicious activity
- therefore the regime was met with little serious political opposition, people wanted to align themselves with the government in hope of a reward
15
Q
what were the advantages of the civil code?
A
- code recongised the legal rights of those who had bought land confiscated from the church and nobility attempt to bind them to maintaining the regime
- system of inheriting estate (partage) confirmed
- civil code ensured the abilition of feudalism, removal of the priveleged position of the chuch within the state, freedom of conscience and equality before the law
